(Editor's Note: The MCA has identified the following agencies where conveyancers may be able to offer their services on a pro bono basis.)

ABA Center for Pro Bono
541 North Fairbanks Court
Chicago, IL 60611
Tel: (312) 988-5769
Goal: To improve the delivery of legal services to the poor by promoting state and local pro bono programs through support activities. The focus of the Center is to support peer-to-peer activities and to research and implement pro bono program policies and standards. The Center has an information clearinghouse, with material on pro bono program design, implementation, training and peer consultation.

AIDS Action Committee Legal Task Force
131 Clarendon Street
Boston, MA 02116
Tel: (617) 450-1216
Goal: To provide free or reduced-fee estate planning and other civil legal services to individuals with HIV/AIDS. Legal areas: estate planning, bankruptcy, landlord-tenant law and insurance.

AIDS Law Project--GLAD
294 Washington Street Suite 740
Boston, MA 02108
Tel: (617) 426-1350
Goal: To represent clients who have experienced discrimination based on HIV status or have other HIV-related legal problems. The AIDS Law Project is sponsored by GLAD, a nonprofit public interest legal group focusing on gay and lesbian rights cases and AIDS discrimination cases. GLAD also seeks attorneys to represent clients in employment, housing, family law, insurance and access to health care cases.

Alternatives for Community and Environment
2343 Washington Street
Roxbury, MA 02119
Tel: (617) 442-3343
Goal: To provide low income communities facing environmental and public health hazards with attorneys and environmental consultants seeking to provide free services. Legal area: environmental law.

Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority
150 North Street Suite 42
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Tel: (413) 44-7138

Goal: To prevent homelessness by the placement of families in shelters; to reduce the number of evictions, landlord-tenant disputes and foreclosures; to promote community support, early intervention against the escalation of housing problems, development of basic living skills and maintenance of long-term tenencies in safe, sanitary and affordable housing and to provide technical assistance to human service providers. Legal areas: housing law.

Cambridge and Somerville Legal Services, Inc.
432 Columbia Street Suite 16
Cambridge, MA 02141
Tel: (617) 494-1800

Catholic Charities Refugee and Immigration Services
270 Washington Street
Somerville, MA 02143
Tel: (617) 625-1920
Goal: To represent low income immigrants of all nationalities in asylum and family immigration cases.

Catholic Lawyers Guild
1 Union Street
Boston, MA 02108
Tel: (617) 523-2640
Goal: To provide representation to homeless individuals who seek assistance on matters including immigration, housing and access to benefits.

Center for Public Representation
22 Green Street
Northampton, MA 01060
Tel: (413) 584-1644
Goal: The Center for Public Representation offers support to legal service programs, as well as to pro bono lawyers representing indigent, mentally disabled clients. The center also provides representation to mentally disabled individuals residing in the community, in public or private psychiatric hospitals and in mental retardation facilities. Legal areas: disability law, discrimination, civil rights, housing and employment.

City Life/Vida Urbana
20 Chestnut Avenue
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Tel: (617) 524-3541
Goal: City Life/Vida Urbana assists nearly 500 families a year who are experiencing housing problems including homelessness, overcrowding, substandard conditions, eviction and unaffordable rent increases. Approximately 50 to 100 of these need or benefit from legal representation. Legal areas: landlord-tenant law.

Community Action, Inc.
25 Locust Street
Haverhill, MA 01830
Tel: (508) 373-1971
Goal: To offer consumer protection and dispute resolution services. Legal areas: consumer law and education, landlord-tenant disputes, business and contract analysis, neighborhood disputes.

Community Legal Services and Counseling Center
1 West Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
Tel: (617) 661-1010
Legal areas: Family, disability, immigration and housing-related matters.

Consumer Assistance Council, Inc.
149 Main Street
PO Box 2445
Hyannis, MA 02601
Tel: (508) 771-0700
Goal: To provide consumer education and volunteer mediators to assist in resolving complaints. Legal areas: consumer law, advertising, auto, charities, contracts, credit cards, scams, fraud, telemarketing.

Crittenton Hastings House
10 Pershire Road
Boston, MA 02135
Tel: (617) 782-7600
Goals: Crittenton Hastings House addresses the needs associated with pregnancy, parenting and family life by offering comprehensive services to enable women, children and families to attain and sustain self-sufficiency and independence. Legal areas: family law, housing and employment.

Disability Law Center
11 Beacon Street Suite 925
Boston, MA 02108
Tel: (617) 723-8455
Goal: Provides representation to low income persons with disabilities throughout Massachusetts in matters involving discrimination, abuse, special education, benefits and access to public and private services. Legal areas: civil rights for people with disabilities.

Elder Services of Berkshire County
66 Wendell Avenue
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Tel: (413) 499-0524
Goal: To assist Berkshire elders in maintaining dignity, independence and self-determination through outreach, advocacy, education, assessment of needs and development of responsive programs. Legal areas: protective services, educational seminars on legal issues, legal advice regarding public benefits, housing, age discrimination, health care issues.

Family Service of Greater Boston
99 Chauncy Street
Boston, MA 02111-1703
Tel: (617) 523-6400
Goal: To promote self-sufficiency and well-being of at-risk families and individuals through the provision of innovative, culturally competent and integrated health and social services. Legal areas: family law, housing.

Greater Boston Legal Services
197 Friend Street
Boston, MA 02114
Tel: (617) 371-1234
Goal: To provide high quality legal representation in civil matters to as many low income individual families as possible. Legal areas: administrative law, family law, immigration law, labor law, landlord-tenant law, workers' compensation law, welfare law, housing law and health law.

Hale and Dorr Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School
122 Boylston Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Tel: (617) 522-3003
Goal: To assist low income clients with their civil legal problems. Legal areas: Public interest including housing, family/domestic law, community enterprise, government benefits, unemployment compensation, AIDS law clinic, immigration, medical-legal services. Also, Family Mediation Project and Pro Se Divorce Clinic.

Hampshire Community Action Commission
218 State Street
Northampton, MA 01060
Tel: (413) 582-4249
Goal: To assist low income tenants who are facing eviction or a housing problem. Services include counseling and education issues such as eviction prevention, housing code standards, security deposits, lead paint issues and remedies, rent increases, mediation and negotiation of disputes and budget counseling. Legal areas: landlord-tenant law.

HIV/AIDS Law Consortium of Western Massachusetts
93 Mill Park
Springfield, MA 01108
Tel: (413) 536-5473
Goal: To provide a broad range of legal services to people infected by HIV/AIDS. Legal services are provided by panel attorneys on a free or reduced fee basis and by law students. Community education is also provided. Legal areas: probate law, family law, discrimination and confidentiality, benefits and landlord-tenant law.

Homeowners Options for Massachusetts Elders (HOME)
30 Winter Street Floor 7
Boston, MA 02108
Tel: (617) 451-0680
Goal: To assist homeowners of low and moderate income to make informed housing decisions that will allow them to stay in their homes. Attorneys are needed to represent elders at loan closings and to do occasional durable powers of attorney in guardianship matters.

International Institute of Boston
1 Milk Street
Boston, MA 02109
Tel: (617) 695-9990
Goal: To provide immigration and social services to non-citizens of all nationalities. Experienced volunteer attorneys are needed to provide free consultations once every three months to clients with family and housing law issues.

Lawyers Clearinghouse on Affordable Housing and Homelessness
16 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02108
Goal: To marshal and channel the resources of the private bar into pro bono representation of nonprofit affordable housing developers, shelter providers, homeless adults and tenants facing eviction. Also sponsors education programs. Legal areas: real estate, landlord-tenant law, corporate law, taxes administrative law, bankruptcy and labor law.

Legal Advocacy and Resource Center
197 Friend Street
Boston, MA 02114
Tel: (617) 371-1123
Goal: The center provides a telephone hotline for legal information and referrals; also, information on pro se procedures for landlord-tenant, domestic relations, bankruptcy, probate and consumer issues.

Legal Services for Cape Cod and Islands, Inc.
460 West Main Street
Hyannis, MA 02601
Tel: (508) 775-7020
Legal areas: Poverty law, housing, family law, government benefits and elderly law.

LIFE (Living is for the Elderly)
27 Maple Street
Arlington, MA 02476
Tel: (781) 646-1000
Goal: Nursing home advocacy organization to improve the quality of life and quality of care of nursing home residents. Legal areas: Residents' rights, nursing home legislation and regulation.

Massachusetts Bar Association's Community Services Program
20 West Street
Boston, MA 02111
Tel: (617) 338-0571

Massachusetts Bar Association Dial-a-Lawyer Program
20 West Street
Boston, MA 02111
Tel: (617) 338-0564
Goal: Volunteer lawyers answer phone calls from the public, provide brief legal advice and answer basic legal questions from 5:30 to 7:30 pm the first Wednesday of every month. Legal areas: All legal areas.

Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Pro Bono Training Program
10 Winter Place
Boston, MA 02108
Tel: (617) 350-7006 x 1234
Goal: To offer educational seminars for civil legal services staff attorneys and private attorneys willing to accept cases as members of pro bono panels.

Massachusetts Justice Project, Inc.
57 Suffolk Street Floor 4
Holyoke, MA 01040
Tel: (413) 533-2660
Legal areas: Housing, public benefits, SSI disability, domestic violence matters, family and elder law.

Massachusetts Justice Project, Inc.
332 Main Street Suite 640
Worcester, MA 01608-1517
Tel: (508) 831-9888
Legal areas: Public benefits, SSI disability, family, consumer and volunteer lawyers service.

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
99 Chauncey Street
Boston, MA 02111
Tel: (617) 357-0700
Goal: The program published books and pamphlets on poverty law topics such as public benefits, housing law, legal rights of the homeless and utility law, all of which are available to attorneys involved in pro bono representation.

Merrimack Valley Legal Services
37 Friend Street
Lynn, MA 01902
Tel: (781) 592-6871
Legal areas: family, housing, elder, government benefits, education and consumer law.

Merrimack Valley Legal Services
35 John Street Suite 302
Lowell, MA 01852
Tel: (978) 458-1465
Legal areas: Housing, elder, government benefits, education and consumer law.

Middlesex County Bar Association
New Courthouse
Cambridge, MA 02141
Tel: (617) 494-4150
Goal: Free legal clinic held Wednesday evenings from 5:00 to 7:00 pm Wednesday evenings at the Middlesex County Courthouse for half-hour appointments to discuss low-income residents' concerns. Legal areas: All aspects of the law.

National Lawyers Guild, Massachusetts Chapter
14 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02108
Tel: (617) 227-7335
Goal: Progressive legal organization working for civil rights and social justice, engaging in frequent action alerts and lobbying to defend legal services funding and current issues under attack from Congress. Legal areas: Immigration, landlord-tenant law, family law, employment law, police misconduct and search and seizure.

Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc.
37 Friend Street
Lynn, MA 01902
Tel: (781) 599-7730
Goal: Pro bono panels for women who are victims of domestic abuse and their children and for person with HIV/AIDS. Panels for bankruptcy and Social Security and SSI disability representation, a family law helpline and a pro se divorce clinic. Legal areas: family law, bankruptcy law, probate law, disability law, AIDS law (health care proxies, powers of attorney, wills, public assistance, disability, family law issues and discrimination), benefits and community development.

New Center for Legal Advocacy
257 Union Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
Tel:(508) 979-7160
Goal: Provision of free legal services to low income clients in civil areas of law. Legal areas: family law, consumer (bankruptcy), will and simple document preparation (homestead declarations) and guardianship.

New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans
17 Court Street
Boston, MA 02108
Tel: (617) 371-1800
Goal: Provides services, programs and housing for veterans in need of shelter, food, clothing, employment and counseling. Legal areas: varied.

Northern Berkshire Habitat for Humanity
PO Box 301
North Adams, MA 01247
Tel: (413) 664-4440
Goal: To eliminate poverty housing. Legal areas: Real estate law.

Pro Bono Legal Project of Tri-City Community Action Program
110 Pleasant Street
Malden, MA 02149
Tel: (781) 322-4125
Goal: To prevent the development and continuation of conditions that cause poverty or come as a result of people living in poverty. Legal areas: Housing, housing discrimination, family law, disability, consumer and other non-fee generating civil matters.

Project Genesis: Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership
PO Box 1042
Lowell, MA 01853
Tel: (978) 459-8490
Goal: To promote home ownership opportunities for low and moderate income earners. Legal areas: real estate law.

Renewal House
PO Box 919
Boston, MA 02120
Tel: (617) 277-9194
Goal: To provide safe, confidential shelter for women who are poor and whose safety is threatened; to provide support and advocacy; to empower women and their children by providing the tools and resources for independent living; to initiate public discussion on the issue of violence and eliminate the root causes of violence in our society. Legal areas: family law, immigration, workers' compensation.

Salem Harbor Community Development
102 Lafayette Street
Salem, MA 01970
Tel: (978) 745-8071
Goal: A nonprofit, community-based, housing and community economic development agency working for community control over housing, economic empowerment and self-determination for low and moderate income residents and viable neighborhood in Salem. Legal areas: housing law, small business and immigration law.

Shelter Legal Services Foundation, Inc.
c.885 Centre Street
Newton Centre, MA 02459
Tel: (617) 552-0623
Goal: To increase access to quality pro bono services for the poor. Legal areas: civil, including family law, housing (landlord/tenant), bankruptcy, benefits.

South Middlesex Legal Services
354 Waverly Street
Framingham, MA 01702-7059
Tel: (508) 620-1830
Goal: To provide free legal services to poor people in civil matters. Legal areas: domestic relations, bankruptcy, simple wills, government benefits and landlord-tenant law.

Southeastern Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corp.
231 Main Street Suite 201
Brockton, MA 02301
Tel: (508) 586-2110

Southwestern Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corp.
558 Pleasant Street Suite 201
New Bedford, MA 02740
Tel:(508) 997-9781

Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of Massachusetts, Inc.
Office of Cultural Affairs
Boston City Hall Room 716
Boston, MA 02201
Tel: (617) 523-1764
Goal: To provide arts-related legal assistance to Massachusetts artists and arts organizations who could not otherwise afford such assistance. Legal areas: copyright and trademark law, art preservation, contracts elated to music and visual arts, film and literary arts, nonprofit incorporation, real estate, libel, slander and privacy issues and other issues related to an artist's creation of work.

Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association
29 Temple Place
Boston, MA 02111
Tel: (617) 423-0648
Goal: to provide representation in court cases to low income residents of greater Boston. Legal areas: Landlord-tenant and other housing law, family law, consumer law, bankruptcy, Social Security disability and employment law, wills and probate, tax and incorporation of non-profits.

Volunteer Lawyers Service of Massachusetts Justice Project
332 Main Street Suite 640
Worcester, MA 01608
Tel: (508) 831-9888
Goal: to coordinate a county-wide pro bono referral program in Worcester and to provide access to legal assistance for all low income individuals who seek help for significant legal problems. Legal areas: bankruptcy law, family law, landlord-tenant law, HIV/AIDS law, wills, foreclosure and SSI.

Western Massachusetts Legal Services, Inc.
55 Federal Street Suite 4
Greenfield, MA 01301
Tel: (413) 774-3747
Legal areas: Housing, welfare, family law, elder, health care and domestic violence-related matters.

Western Massachusetts Legal Services, Inc.
127 State Street Floor 4
Springfield, MA 01103
Tel: (413) 781-7814
Legal areas: Housing, public benefits, SSI disability, domestic violence matters, family and elder law.

Western Massachusetts Legal Services, Inc.
20 Hampton Avenue Suite 100
Northampton, MA 01060
Tel: (413) 585-0418
Legal areas: Housing, public benefits, SSI disability, domestic violence matters, family and elder law.

Western Massachusetts Volunteer Lawyers Service
57 Suffolk Street Suite 401
Holyoke, MA 01040
Tel: (413) 533-2660
Goal: To use available resources to provide effective legal assistance to low income residents of western Massachusetts. Legal areas: family law, landlord-tenant law, estate planning, bankruptcy, special education and nonprofit incorporation.

(Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the Spring, 1999, Vol 18:2 issue of the MCA's newsletter, The Conveyancer)